1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor package, and more particularly, to an improved method of fabricating a semiconductor package.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a conventional semiconductor package in which a deflash process is not carried out. Referring to FIG. 1, on each side portion of a semiconductor chip 1 there is attached an insulating adhesive 2. On each of the adhesive 2, inner leads 3a are provided. An outer lead 3b is upwardly extended from each corresponding inner lead 3a. Bonding pads (not shown) formed on the chip 1 are electrically connected to the inner leads 3a by conductive wires 4. A certain area of the package including the conductive wires 4 is molded by a molding compound 5 to expose an upper surface of each of the outer leads 3b externally. That is, the conventional semiconductor package includes a package body 6 that exposes the upper surface of the outer leads 3b and a flash portion 7 formed on a portion of the upper surface of the outer lead 3b. The flash portion 7 on the upper surface of the outer leads 3b is formed in accordance with the molding compound 5.
With reference to FIGS. 2A through 2C, the fabrication method of the conventional semiconductor package will now be described.
As shown in FIG. 2A, the outer leads 3b extended from the inner leads 3a, which are attached to the chip 1 by means of the adhesive 2, are placed in and over a molding recess 10 provided in a lower casting mold 8. An upper casting mold 9 is covered thereon. Here, chip pads (not shown) on the chip 1 are connected to the inner leads 3a of a lead frame 3 by the conductive wires 4.
Then, as shown in FIG. 2B, the casting molds 8, 9 are clamped to each other under pressure so as to be closely contacting each other with the outer leads 3b therebetween. Molten molding compound 5 is injected into the respective molding recesses 10 and hardened for a certain time to thereby form a package body 6 per each molding recess 10.
Referring to FIG. 2C, the casting molds 8, 9 are detached from the respective package bodies 6, thereby completing the conventional semiconductor package fabrication. At this time, on the upper surface of the exposed outer leads 3b, there is generated a flash 7 resulting from the molding compound 5.
However, the conventional semiconductor package has disadvantages in that due to a bending of the outer leads 3b during the clamping of the casting molds 8, 9, it has been difficult to prevent the molding compound 5 from permeating between the upper casting mold 9 and the outer leads 3b. Moreover, a mechanical or chemical deflashing process must be applied to eliminate the flash 7 formed on the upper surface of the outer leads 3b which are externally exposed, in order to carry out a solder mounting after the compound molding.